§ 28. Sir Waldron Smithersasked the Minister for Fuel and Power whether he can give an assurance that Government Departments have no preference as to coal consumption, and that they are carrying out both the letter and the spirit of the Minister's regulations and recommendations.
§ Sir W. SmithersWill the right hon. and gallant Gentleman have further inquiries made, especially with regard to the Government Departments at Colwyn Bay?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeObviously my hon. Friend has asked me a question on Government Departments as a whole. I can assure him that, taking the Depart- 17 ments as a whole, they are treated in exactly the same way as other civilian buildings. Returns show that consumption, as compared with the pre-war period, has decreased by 24 per cent.
§ Mr. ThorneIs not preferential treatment given to big houses—there is one in South Kensington—over the small cottages in West Ham?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThere is no preferential treatment. Any householder can approach the local fuel officer if he is in special circumstances, and the local fuel officer has discretion to deal with the matter. When it comes to the question of the larger houses, their cuts are out of all proportion to the smaller houses.
§ Mr. McKinlayCan the right hon. and gallant Gentleman say why preference is given to the Members' Smoking Room against other parts of the House used by other hon. Members?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI should not have thought that there was any preference given: it seems just as warm as anywhere else.
§ Mr. ThorneDo big houses in South Kensington get more than the one hundredweight per week allowed?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAny householder who can show special circumstances, such as sickness or large numbers of people in the house, is entitled to go to the local fuel officer, who has discretion to make an additional grant. That applies to all houses.
§ Mr. ThorneBut what I want to know is, do they get more than one hundredweight per week?